Budgerigar
The budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) ( /ˈbʌdʒərɨɡɑr/), also known as common pet parakeet or shell parakeet informally nicknamed the budgie, is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot, and the only species in the Australian genus Melopsittacus. Wild budgerigars are found throughout the drier parts of Australia, where the species has survived harsh inland conditions for the last five million years. Naturally green and yellow with black, scalloped markings on the nape, back, and wings, breeders have created a rainbow of blues, whites, and yellows, greys, and even forms with small crests. Budgerigars are popular pets around the world due to their small size, low cost, ability to mimic human speech and playful nature.The budgerigar is closely related to the lories and the fig parrots. Although budgerigars are often, especially in American English, called "parakeets", this term refers to any of a number of small parrots with long, flat tails. Alternative common names include shell parrot, warbling grass parakeet, canary parrot, zebra parrot, flight bird, scallop parrot and the alternate spellings budgerygah and betcherrygah. Although more applicable to members of the genus Agapornis, the name lovebird has been applied to them from their habit of mutual preening. Several possible origins for the English name "budgerigar" have been proposed:A mispronunciation or alteration of Gamilaraay gidjirrigaa ɡ̊iɟiriɡaː, possibly influenced by the Australian slang word "budgery", meaning "good". This is supported by the American Heritage Dictionary. A compound of "budgery", "good" and gar "cockatoo". This is supported by the Oxford English Dictionary. The word "budgery", also spelt "boojery", was formerly in use in Australian English slang meaning "good". The budgerigar was first described by George Shaw in 1805, and given its current binomial name by John Gould in 1840. The genus name Melopsittacus comes from Greek and means "melodious parrot". The species name undulatus is Latin for "undulated" or "wave-patterned". Gould noted the term betcherrygah was used by indigenous people of the Liverpool plains in New South Wales. The budgerigar has been thought to be the link between the genera Neophema and Pezoporus based on the barred plumage. However, recent phylogenetic studies using DNA sequences place the budgerigar very close to the lories (tribe Lorini) and the fig parrots (tribe Cyclopsittacini). Anatomy and physiology The anatomy of a male budgerigarWild budgerigars average 18 cm (7 in) long, weigh 30–40 grams (1.1–1.4 oz), and display a light green body colour (abdomen and rumps), while their mantles (back and wing cove rts) display pitch-black mantle markings (blackish in fledgelings and immatures) edged in clear yellow undulations. The forehead and face is yellow in adults but with blackish stripes down to the cere (nose) in young individuals until they change into their adult plumage around three to four months of age. They display small, purple cheek patches and a series of three black spots across each side of their throats (called throat spots). The two outermost throat spots are situated at the base of each cheek patch. The tail is cobalt (dark-blue); and outside tail feathers display central yellow flashes. Their wings have greenish-black flight feathers and black coverts with yellow fringes along with central yellow flashes, which only become visible in flight or when the wings are outstretched. Bills are olive grey and legs blueish-grey, with zygodactyl toes.Budgerigars in their natural habitat in Australia are noticeably smaller than those in captivity. This particular parrot species has been bred in many other colours and shades in captivity (e.g. blue, grey, grey-green, pieds, violet, white, yellow-blue), although they are mostly found in pet stores in blue, green, and yellow. Like most parrot species, budgerigar plumage fluoresces under ultraviolet light. This phenomenon is possibly related to courtship and mate selection. The upper half of their beaks is much taller than the bottom half and covers the bottom when closed. The beak does not protrude much, due to the thick, fluffy feathers surrounding it, giving the appearance of a downward-pointing beak that lies flat against the face. The upper half acts as a long, smooth cover, while the bottom half is just about a half-sized cup-piece. These beaks allow the birds to eat plants, fruits, and vegetables. The beak of a budgerigar can clamp tighter than most other birds, keeping food or nesting supplies from falling out of its hold.neededThe colour of the cere (the area containing the nostrils) differs between the sexes, being royal blue in males, pale brown to white (nonbreeding) or brown (breeding) in females, and pink in immatures of both sexes (usually of a more even purplish-pink colour in young males). Some female budgerigars develop brown cere only during breeding time, which later returns to the normal colour. Young females can often be identified by a subtle, chalky whiteness that starts around the nostrils. Males that are either Albino, Lutino, Dark-eyed Clear or Recessive Pied (Danishpied or harlequin) always retain the immature purplish-pink cere colour their entire lives.1517 Budgerigar flock in the wild (SW Queensland, Australia)It is usually easy to tell the sex of a budgerigar over six months old, mainly by the cere colours, but behaviours and head shape also help indicate sex.A mature male's cere is usually light to dark blue, but can be purplish to pink in some particular colour mutations, such as Dark-eyed Clears, Danish Pieds (Recessive Pieds) and Inos, which usually display much rounder heads. Males are typically cheerful, extroverted, highly flirtatious, peacefully social, and very vocal.Females' ceres are pinkish as immatures and switch from being beigish or whitish outside breeding condition into brown (often with a 'crusty' texture) in breeding condition and usually display flattened backs of heads (right above the nape region). Females are typically highly dominant and more socially intolerant.18 In captivity, budgerigars live an average of five to eight years, but life spans of 15–20 years have been reported.22 The life span depends on breed, lineage, and health, being highly influenced by exercise and diet.Budgerigars will chew on anything they can find to keep their beaks trimmed. Mineral blocks (ideally enriched with iodine), cuttlebone, and soft wooden pieces are suitable items for this activity.Budgerigars have been known to cause "bird fancier's lung" in sensitive people, a type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis.23Male specimens of budgerigars are considered one of the top five talking champions amongst parrot species, alongside the African grey, the Amazon, and the Eclectus parrots, and the ring-necked parakeet.neededPuck, a male budgerigar owned by American Camille Jordan, holds the world record for the largest vocabulary of any bird, at 1,728 words. Puck died in 1994, with the record first appearing in the 1995 edition of Guinness World Records.2526In 2001, recordings of a budgerigar called Victor got some attention from the media. Victor's owner, Ryan B. Reynolds of Canada, stated Victor was able to engage in contextual conversation and predict the future.2728Though some believe the animal was able to predict his own death as was claimed,29 further study on the subject is difficult without the bird. The recordings still remain to be verified by scientific analysis.30 Critics argue Victor's speech in the recordings is not coherent enough to be determined as spoken in context.31